Madeira - Blandy

Blandy's house dates back to 1811 and is still owned by the original family to this day. In 1925, Blandy's joined the Madeira Wine Association, with the aim of positioning itself more efficiently in the global market. The sales figures doubled after a partnership with the Symington Family in Porto. Blandy's belongs to the only family where the company has remained in original family hands. The Blandy family still plays a leading role in the quality development of Madeira.

Some history

The Blandy's brand takes its name from the Englishman John Blandy, who established himself on the island in 1810 as a trader of Madeira wines. His son, Charles Ridpath Blandy, succeeded his father in the business. In 1925, the Blandy family joined the Madeira Wine Association, a group of independent producers. The aim was to trade jointly and to strengthen the market position. The day-to-day management was in the hands of the Blandy family. In order to gain more international fame, the decision was made in 1989 to enter into a new partnership with the respected Symington family. For generations, the Symington family has been one of the best-known and most successful port producers. The company name changed to the Madeira Wine Company. At the time, although Blandy's was still running the company, it knew that even its wealth of experience wasn't enough to achieve the worldwide distribution it needed. The team enlisted the help of renowned port brand Symington's, with whom the company partnered up in 1989.

Symington's not only met the distribution needs of the Madeira Wine Company - they also advised the various producers involved on their branding and brought the production methods in the company's winery to modern, state-of-the-art standards. In 2000, the Madeira Wine Company completed a massive renovation project to improve its blending and storage facilities.

While Symington's is still involved with the company, Blandy's took over again in 2011 with the appointment of Chris Blandy as chief executive. Since the acquisition, Blandy's has overseen the purchase of the company's first vineyards: although, as is the norm, most of its grapes come from select growers across the island, the company now has a few plots of its own.

The wine is all made at the company's winery in Mercês, where the team also has a cooperage to make all of its own barrels. The winemaking is overseen by award-winning Francisco Albequerque, who skillfully manages to produce each of the four leading brands in their respective individual styles.

When it comes to aging, the company ages much of its oldest wines according to the traditional canteiro system, with wines gently warmed in the winery's lofts. While this natural method is not suitable for younger wines, such as The Society's Full Rich Madeira, it is perhaps a testament to how much the company cherishes its rich and long heritage

Innovative Leadership

Blandy's is known today as a leader in innovation and quality improvement. About 200,000 people visit the wine cellars every year. In 1991, all Madeira bottles were given a completely new layout. The more modern labeling also stimulated other producers to innovate.

In 2000, Blandy's introduced a new style of Madeira, originating from one vintage, the Blandy's Malmsey 1994 Harvest. This type of madeira can best be translated as a Late Bottled Vintage style. With this, Blandy's broke with the tradition of marketing only very old, exclusive vintage Madeiras. This new type of madeira is now very successful. Another revolutionary product is Blandy's Alvada, which is composed of two grape varieties: Bual and Malmsey. Blandy's madeira can compete with the most prestigious wines in the world.

Every year, Blandy leaves many competitors behind. For three consecutive years, at the London International Wine Challenge, winemaker Francisco Albuquerque was awarded the honorary title, “Fortified Winemaker of the Year.” At the 2009 International Wine & Spirit Competition, Blandy's was named, “Best Portuguese Wine Producer.” In 2011, Blandy's celebrated their 200th anniversary as an independently operating madeira house.

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